If nothing else, Mary Makes Christmas suggests that a very Mary Christmas is a deeply wholesome affair. There is nothing more special, says the former Bake Off judge, than making gifts for people. Personally, I am on board with this philosophy, despite what certain family members may think of their haphazard – let’s say “rustic” – gifts, but there are plenty of people who would rather have a PS5 than a jar of stilton dip, no matter how much love went into that cheesy sauce. It seems reasonable to assume that this is not the programme for them.
Instead, it is a cosy hour of old-school, classic, Delia-style cookery, with crafting, celebrity guests billed as friends (“old and new”) and festive activities such as bellringing, swimming in the sea and carol singing, which may or may not have been filmed at a more balmy time of year. I should say, for transparency’s sake, that I have no idea when this was made – there is every chance that it was filmed last week – but nevertheless, when watching Christmas specials, I do enjoy wondering if everyone is having to put on a jumper and pretend to enjoy the taste of mincemeat as they sweat it out under an off-season Santa hat.
